The Best Places in the US for Summer Stargazing

According to Space.com, some of the best stargazing opportunities in the US will occur between late June and early September. The skies will be at their darkest, virtually uninhibited by moonlight, offering rookie astronomers the chance to take in thousands of stars as the Milky Way unfolds before their eyes.

The best places for celestial views are far away from city light pollution in state parks, national parks, and designated dark sky programs across the country. We’ve rounded up the best of the best so all you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. But if you wanted to tie your summer stargazing adventure in to a celebration for centennial year of the National Park Service, that's cool too.

Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

If you’ve never heard of a Dark Sky program, you're not alone. They’re relatively new to the scene and have relatively strict
guidelines. In order to become a Dark Sky Park, the land must include “an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights” and “be specifically
protected.” Natural Bridges set the mold, becoming the first Dark Sky Park back
in 2007. Visitors to the area can expect to see hundreds of
thousands of stars, planets, and even the Milky Way.

Chaco Culture
National Historical Park, New Mexico

Taking in the starry nights in the midst of centuries-old
ruins is pretty hard to beat and that’s exactly what you can expect in this far
corner of New Mexico. To add to the wow factor, the park can only be accessed
by dirt road, which led to some of the oldest and largest collection of
pueblos in the southwest. While most visitors come for the history, they stay
for the nighttime views. Park officials host a variety of free public astronomy programs
throughout the year in their domed observatory with some seriously impressive telescopes visitors can peek through.

Glacier National Park,
Montana

Known for its majestic mountains, roaring rivers, and calm lakes, avid outdoorsmen rave about Glacier National Park throughout the year but especially in the summertime when the entire park seems to hum with activity. Unlike its neighbors to the west, Glacier maintains mild summer temperatures so travelers can explore every inch of the park without feeling drained before they begin their stargazing escapades. For the best views, we recommend you try backcountry camping in one of the valleys. Not only will you be tucked away from the other park visitors, you’ll also be able to use the backcountry photo tips we have available too.

Cherry Springs State
Park, Pennsylvania

Cherry Springs is significantly smaller than the other parks on this list, but its staff's enthusiasm for stargazing more than make up for it. A special field has been set aside at the very top of 2,300-foot
mountain with expansive views of one of the largest state forests in Pennsylvania and one of the coolest galaxies in the entire solar system, the
Milky Way. Visitors are encouraged to set
up camp as long as they are registered for an
overnight pass.

Death Valley National
Park, California

While Natural Bridges calls dibs for being the first Dark Sky Park,
Death Valley is the world’s largest. Within five hours of LA and just two from Vegas, it's an easy trek for city dwellers. Either way, you’ll want to get here in
time for sunset when the temperature has cooled down a
tad, giving you just enough time to explore some of the sites that were
featured in
Star Wars (like Dante’s View
and the Golden Canyon) before the desert sky is enveloped by millions of
stars.

Headlands International Dark Sky Park, Michigan

Just a few miles outside of Mackinac, Headlands
International Dark Sky Park welcomes visitors free of charge on one condition:
they don't spend the night. It may sound odd, but this is a part of Michigan is used
to getting weird looks (Mackinac Island doesn’t permit cars). The guys at Headlands want visitors to enjoy
every waking moment of the dark sky without interruption. In return, visitors
are rewarded with a spot on the shores of Lake Michigan and some of the most spectacular views of constellations,
meteor showers, and planets on the eastern side of the Mississippi.